Chill out, Mr Bloom

This is the UK Independence Party MEP who thinks that women do not clean behind the fridge enough.

Godfrey Bloom, the newly-elected MEP for Yorkshire and Humber, has already got himself into hot water - as it were - by declaring that women should stay in the kitchen.

"I want to deal with women's issues," he announced on his first day at the European parliament in Strasbourg, "because I just don't think they clean behind the fridge enough." Warming to his theme, he went on: "I am here to represent Yorkshire women who always have dinner on the table when you get home. I am going to promote men's rights."

His remarks have, predictably, caused a bit of a fuss. But amid the howls of protest about women's rights and their role in the workplace, one fundamental issue has been overlooked: should one actually clean behind the fridge at all?

Kim Woodburn and Aggie MacKenzie, who came to fame with their hit Channel 4 show How Clean Is Your House? - are, naturally, all for it.

And when we asked prominent women if they have ever cleaned behind the fridge here were there replies:

"I think it is totally outrageous that a man with such dreadful views has any kind of political position."

"I haven't got the slightest intention of discussing what I do with my fridge because of what that idiot said."

"The very sad thing is that there seems to be a lot of pressure for women to behave like this now, though thankfully not from my man. The truth is that Mr Bloom has 'done a Ratner', which won't help his party one bit." Meanwhile Mr Bloom, who perhaps has never cleaned the back of a fridge in his life, continued with his theme today by arguing for a rolling-back of the "rules and regulations" guaranteeing women equal rights in the workplace.

He said it was very difficult for small businesses to employ women who might take maternity leave. "If you have a very small business, let's say if you are a four-man business running a motel, it's very difficult employing a female who is going to disappear on maternity leave within a few months of joining you.

"What I'm saying is, if you get rid of some of these rules and regulations people will be much more willing to employ young women. "

Mr Bloom is - or was when we last checked - a married man. His wife Katrina, who is half-Polish, is one of the country's leading horse physiotherapists and famous for riding to hunt side saddle. Unfortunately she was unavailable for comment today: no doubt she was at home, cleaning behind the fridge.